private Unlikely Guardians

[Agent505 661]

@@Starshine,

 

Her panicked crying had died down down now, only sniffling, tears and uneven breathing remained as she used Chandra to help pull herself to her feet. It was at this point where she finally noticed that thanks to being stood on, roared at and almost swallowed, she had indeed peed herself. She turned bright red, not that it would be overly noticeable over her already red from crying cheeks, and immediately pulled her hands away and tried to cover it up, hoping no one had already noticed. Between sniffles and sharp breaths she turned to Chandra and managed a smile, tears still running down her cheeks from before, but ultimately calming down now. "Th-thank you." She whispered - almost whimpered quietly before turning to face the demon child, finally aware of its presence fully. 

"W-what is that?" she asked Chandra, not quite being as bothered by it as she should have been with all things considered, possibly due to her mind being not quite there right at that moment.

[Standard User 2,127]

[i'm gonna skip all the stuff Morgan would've thought/said up till now. Too much work and I'm very lazy.]

"Uh, if I can interject here..." Morgan said awkwardly, raising a hand as though asking an embarrassing question in school. "If I get this right, Skeletor here is saying that we were saved from that crash so that we could help." He turned back to look at the remaining debris and piles of embers, then returned his focus to the group. "I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather be alive and working to be some 'Chosen' hero than burning alive in the smoldering wreckage. Let's just see what Skull has to say, alright? Maybe we'll get paid or something."

 

Morgan let out a laugh, threw his head back, and began spinning in circles. "Because this is obviously just a dre-e-e-eam! Ooh, boy, I wonder if I can fly in this one." A defeated frown appeared on his face when jumping up and down and flailing his arms wildly yielded no positive results.

"Eh, it was worth a shot...anyway, Skeletor. What exactly do we need to do as 'Chosen' peeps?"

[sorry if I missed something, did something wrong, etc. I caught up as best as I could.   ]

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

 

 

Interrupted by humanity’s herrold before she can continue in earnest, Tiffany’s features fell slack at the damning list of sins Kat laid bare. Never once did they approach anger, but a deep sorrow seemed to sweep everything about her frail body, as though she understood this pain, but could no longer feel it herself. For once, the lips of the child moved of their own volition, though no omnipresent voice followed their whisper.

 

"Told you they wouldn't believe you, dummy."

 

Katarzhyna tilted her head at the words that only she was close enough to hear.  Is that the child herself?  Is she alive in there somehow?  The alien voice began speaking again, and Katarzhyna listened carefully, trying to assemble some kind of coherent understanding.  Tartarus?  Isn't that...underworld prison from Greek mythology? she thought, trying to remember readings from grade school.  Or am I getting it confused with Hades?  So...either Greek mythology is true, or maybe this is simulated reality created by aliens using things from our minds, or maybe from Tiffany's mind?  Is this a test?  As the alien continued to speak, a tingle ran up Katarzhyna's spine at the thought of a civilization for whom a wormhole traversing the boundary between universes was the local equivalent of digging through a prison wall with a pilfered spoon.

 

While Katarzhyna tried to get her thoughts together, reactions from the others ranged from an almost eager willingness to play along, to muffled sobs, to outright accusations that the alien recruiter was the villain of the piece.

 

"Respectfully, your method of translation is not perfect," she said.  "Your words come through to us as metaphors subject to multiple interpretations, and perhaps our words come across same to you.  War is not a thing to enter into in ignorance.  We know very few things.  We know--unless crash and deaths are all just parts of simulated reality--that your enemies can affect our world, perhaps retaliate against our nations if we join you.  We know that they can create wormhole across boundaries of universes, that they are able to pinpoint our world out of all vastness of space and accurately target moving object in its atmosphere.  We do not know if their sensing equipment could tell them if it was passenger aircraft, or could only detect mass.  We do not know if they are deliberate killers or desperate tortured prisoners reaching for only opportunity to escape.

 

"I am not physicist, but from what I have read about our researches into how to develop interstellar travel, to create wormhole large enough to transport a craft across space or between universes, would require more energy than our entire species has produced in all of our history.  And we cannot even begin to understand actual technology to do it.  If we joined you, we could perhaps improvise weapons and armor from wreckage of our aircraft, but it would be hopelessly primitive against such power.  I do not see how we can be of use to you as warriors.  Perhaps we could serve as neutral arbiters, to try to find peaceful resolution to your dispute?  You say you have prisoners inside?  May we speak to one of them, to hear their side of story?  Also, you seem to be using Tiffany, the child, for conduit to speak through.  Do you still have her mind intact?  Can you heal her?"

[Shanashie 39]

@Starshine

 

By now the displaced serenity surrounding the stalwart humans was beginning to wane, now lingering as a disquieting sense of nostalgia.  Though the smile remained on the dead girl’s face, it had fallen slightly and was marked with confusion as she listened to Chandra’s accusation.  

 

‘But... We have explained.’ Stammered the voice, as though it simply couldn't grasp the problem, ‘The six have escaped. Without them, we crumble.  What more is there to this tale?’

 

@Scoutaloo

 

Originating from somewhere far above, an ominous groan seeped into the clearing.  Not unlike the bow of a ship straining against a fearsome storm, its texture suggested ancient timber rather than rock or metal.

 

‘Guardians are the sword, Harmony is the shield, together they protect those which cannot protect themselves.  For this, the world bestows its gifts.  It shall grant... no, awaken your strength, should you chose to pursue it.  What we ask ’

 

@InvisablePinkUnicorn

 

Tiffany’s eyes seemed to glaze over, the fey-fire dimming for barely a heartbeat along with the strange alien feelings.  This time the groans were much closer, the snap of living wood somehow echoing around the survivors despite the lack of surrounding cliffs.  Just as suddenly as it had begun, the creak faded and the child’s stare resumed, listening closely as the stalwart woman spun a most logical argument.  

 

Much of the more technical side of Kat’s carefully chosen words seemed to slip by entirely, but the core message seemed to reach the disembodied voice.

 

‘We see now.  You comprehend some, but cannot trust that which you do.  We thought the knowledge of this vessel would bring adequate ‘translation’, as you say.  But it is lacking.  We fear, conflict is unavoidable, lightly entered or not.  The six will see you for what you are and even if you do not seek them, they may yet seek you.  If your strength drives you to speak with them, perhaps you may break through the madness of centuries.

 

‘But those that remain within are of one voice; Labyrinth’

 

@All

 

At this word, spoken by both the ethereal voice and the girl before them, an almighty cacophony broke across the clearing.  Within the façade of the great door, renewed cracks began to rapidly appear, splitting the dark surface and throwing out black splinters as the dead-yet-alive wood finally began to give under the strain.  

 

‘Time is at an End.  We cannot stay.’  Spoke the voice of Labyrinth, still seemingly calm as its vessel stood and craned its neck to gaze at the braking gateway.  Progress of the sundering cracks gradually slowed to a trickle.   A long pause drew out the moment into an uncomfortable silence as the vessel seemed to collect its thoughts.

 

‘...Amarok.’

 

Three pairs of eyes opened at the sound of the familiar name, one focussing on the figure with a look of mild interest whilst the others scanned both the gate and the humans respectively.

 

’They will need a shard.’

 

Huffing dismissively, the giant wolf settled back down and continued to watch the hairless apes, a warbling growl resonating from deep within its chest.

 

’Please?’

 

Reluctantly the wolf stood and turned towards the door.  Leaning in close, it’s leftmost head began to bite at the surface and pulled away a splinter in its teeth.  With an almost nonchalant toss of its head, the beast spat a tiny black shard down the steps before resuming its comfortable spot on the cooling marble.

 

Once, twice, thrice the heavy splinter bounced down the dark stairway, shimmering slightly in the daylight with each rebound.  Finally, it came to rest at Kat’s feet.  

 

Up close, the grain of fossilised wood was easily visible in the four inch splinter, jet black and cold as stone, yet somehow still alive, as though pulled from the trunk of an oak.  Carved into one face was the top half of a thin winged snake, the other sides splintered where they had parted the greater structure.  

 

Tiffany wobbled slightly as tiny motes of dust began to peal away from her broken body, swirling through the air towards both the gate behind her and the abandoned shard.  

 

’If you will not believe, then our sorrow knows no bounds.  This was our only time to speak.  Holding this gate commands our will, and we must release this vessel.  Though we may never gain your trust, we ask but one thing.  As you journey this world, carry this shard with you.  This vessel, this ‘Tiffany’, she can aid you.’

 

The boom of splitting stone filled the clearing once more, even the seemingly sedate birds taking flight at its thunderous resonance.

 

‘We can delay no longer!’ shouted the voice, sounding panicked for the first time since the conversation began.  Tiffany had begun to dissolve in a cloud of swirling dust, the motes streaming from her wounds and winding their way down into the broken shard at Kat’s feet.

 

‘We charge you with her protection.  Should you seek a way back to your land, you will find it within the city of ivory towers.’

 

Soundlessly, blinding light flooded from the growing cracks on the towering gateway, searing the eyes of the mortals that stood before its brilliance. For a moment the world was white and silent, as though existence itself had been sucked from around the hapless onlookers.  

 

And then it was over.

 

A gentle breeze began to rustle the high branches of the pine forest, sweeping away the void that the light had left behind.  Though the steps of black marble remained, as did the hulking wolf guarding them, the gate had all but vanished.  Gone was the living black stone, replaced by simple hune granite, carved in the likeness of a simple yet giant doorway.  Devoid of the strange alien feeling of sanctuary, the clearing now felt like the cold, empty mountain side that it was.  

 

“Labyrinth!”

 

The week cry was distant, broken as though its owner was hoarse from shouting.

 

At the foot of the mountain, a tiny transparent figure pounded her fists against the unforgiving granite. Barely more than an outline remaining, a stream of dust still flowed away from her and into the black shard, drawn like a party of ants returning to the nest.

 

“Labyrinth, come back!”  Tiffany shouted, voice falling to a whispered plea as the last vestiges of her form vanished with the trail of coarse dust.

 

“Don’t.. leave... me.... alone.....”

 

And just like, that the survivors were alone on the rocky ledge, standing before what had once been the gates of Tartarus.

 

 

 

 

And so our prologue draws to a close!

 

Some pointers for next phase of play;

 

The plato now seems lifeless as the fauna have fled the burst of light.  From the vantage of the rising mountainside, you can see down and across a vast forested valley, flanked by snow capped mountains on all sides bar one.  With its tumbling waterfalls, elegant cloudscape and rolling green canopy, it would be quite beautiful in other circumstances.  

 

The once burning wreckage is still steaming, but otherwise devoid of flame, relatively safe to explore and salvage from.  

 

Aramok seems completely uninterested in you at the moment, content to sit and watch for the time being.  

 

Far in the distance three different POI’s catch your eye.

 

One; (Easy to spot) Finally, far at the mouth of the valley, what looks like a town is visible clinging to the gently sloping hillside.  You can see it by the copper coloured shine emanating from that direction, possibly from a metal coated roof.  The wall around the settlement is only just visible at this extreme distance.  There might be a watch tower too, but it could be a trick of the light without binoculars to be certain.

 

Two; (Difficult to spot) The storm clouds from earlier now hover some miles from your lofty position, seemingly moving towards one towering mountain peak, where  is a large unmoving cloud formation stands out against the blue sky.  What should be random shapes within the solid looking cumilous could almost be towers or structures of their own.  Deeper within its folds a single waterfall cascades from off the peak’s edge, perhaps lofted by a concealed structure below.

 

Three: (Very difficult to spot) Deep in the pine forest a single column of smoke blights the otherwise perfect landscape. Upon closer inspection, the trees appear different there, almost too symmetrical and neat.  

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2013 by Shanashie

[Starshine 16,330]

‘But... We have explained.’ Stammered the voice, as though it simply couldn't grasp the problem, ‘The six have escaped. Without them, we crumble. What more is there to this tale?’

 

"Urgh!" Chandra grabbed her hair in frustration. The dead girl was seriously trying to escape the subject, she was too eager to switch the topic. Just what kind of atrocities did these six did to warrant this kind of imprisonment and inter-dimensional manhunt? If this was not earth, then what were those wings she saw earlier? She grunted and kneeled to the ground. Everything was just so weird. Chandra was too occupied with rubbing her temples that she couldn't pay any attention to any conversation around her. Not before the door rumbled something fierce did she raised her head to look at her surrounding. "Now what...?"

 

The... spirit, that was using the dead girl, Tiffany was her name, slowly dissipated away, leaving a rather large piece of wood to the redhead. Huh, at least in this nightmare a leader had been chosen for them. Chandra briefly contemplated to go and leave everyone to search for this ivory tower, but decided against the notion. Being alone in this hellhole would be a perfect recipe for disaster.

 

The carved door disappeared, leaving only a slab of granite behind. Tiffany was healed, sort of, but now she was crying, begging for Labyrinth to return. Chandra looked around the place. "Well ain't that just interesting. Now we are all alone, in a world where Tartarus and the goddamn Cerberus is real, and our only lead on what the hell is going on is a little girl." She sighed.

 

There was a settlement on the sloppy mountain slide. The roof of the structures seemed to be shining in metallic copper. There was also a wall around it. People just didn't build a wall around their houses without something to keep out of the place. Chandra grew wary of her surrounding, there might be another apex predator lurking around the place. At least the Cerberus looked uninterested in them.

 

"So... Any ideas what should we do now?" Chandra asked to no one in particular. She was hoping someone would be crazy enough to stand and lead others.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Starshine

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

Survival first, questions later, Katarzhyna thought, shoving bafflement aside.  She bent down and gingerly picked up the Shard, careful to note any sharp ends or splinters.  "Do not be afraid, Tiffany.  We will not leave you alone.  I know that all of this must be much more difficult for you than for us," she said to the Shard.  In fact, what the child had to be going through was literally unimaginable.  "I will talk to you as soon as I can, but for now we must get to safety." 

 

@@Starshine,

"So... Any ideas what should we do now?" 

 

"My name is Lieutenant Katarzhyna Nikolaeva, Russian Air Force," she said loudly enough for everyone to hear.  "Pantry is in tail section of aircraft.  We will need to gather water, food, and juices, all that we can carry.  First aid kits should also be there.  We have no guarantee that food here will be edible for us.  We should also search luggages we can find, for extra clothes, especially cold-weather gear, and anything else that could be useful.  Compass, portable radios, anything that can be used for weapons, knives, tools."  In truth, she wasn't counting on portable radios, but she had seen families of tourists using walkie-talkies on ski trips before, so that parents and kids could keep track of each other.  "I do not know how much time we have.  We should be ready to move as soon as possible.  'Labyrinth' said that Guardians are sword and 'Harmony' is shield.  If we can make contact with people who live here, maybe they can help us find 'Harmony.'  Then we will have possible allies.

 

@,

"Is anyone seriously hurt?"  She headed over to the woman with the injured legs.  "Please sit down.  I will try to check your legs," she said to her, then spoke up for the ears of the group: "I have survival first aid training.  Does anyone have better medical knowledge?  Also, does anyone know about Greek mythology?" 

Edited July 26, 2013 by InvisiblePinkUnicorn

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@,

 

Emily was a little upset that Labyrinth hadn't addressed her, she couldn't fight...she couldn't even walk at the time.
She slid back down the tree into a sitting position. "Um...I know...about Greek Mythology." She said, looking down at her bag full of books before looking back up at Katarzhyna.

She looked over at the plane wreckage before gulping. "Um...If anyone see's a guitar...I...I'd love that back..." She said.

She looked back down at her legs and felt herself starting to cry again...then she burst into tears, putting her hands to her face and shaking her head. "I cant do this...what do we do now? W-We're stuck in the woods...and I can barely walk...and even when I can walk, I'm a book obsessed no body who does nothing but read and play music. I cant...help save a world." She said, looking at Katarzhyna before sobbing and crying into her hands again.

[Agent505 661]

(I gave up trying to make this interesting after 4 attempts)

 

@@Starshine, 

Myra stood there for a little while in silence as the other survivors looked around and conversed around her, she couldn't think of anything important to say, or anything relevant to add, so she simply...waited. 

That was, until she was hit with a strange feeling...one of invasion, and insecurity. Not quite being able to put her finger on it, she didn't mention anything to the others in case she was wrong about it ... but she was fairly sure she was being watched. 

She looked off into the distance, across the top of the mountains - nothing. Shaking her head in an attempt to disregard the feeling, she stepped over to Chandra again nervously, standing by her side and whispering in her ear with a red face "If you see any clean underwear...could you..?" she left her sentence hanging there, hoping she wouldn't have to spell it out for her. 

[Starshine 16,330]

 

 

"My name is Lieutenant Katarzhyna Nikolaeva, Russian Air Force," she said loudly enough for everyone to hear.

 

"Pantry is in tail section of aircraft. We will need to gather water, food, and juices, all that we can carry. First aid kits should also be there. We have no guarantee that food here will be edible for us. We should also search luggages we can find, for extra clothes, especially cold-weather gear, and anything else that could be useful. Compass, portable radios, anything that can be used for weapons, knives, tools."

 

Chandra was amazed that there was a military personnel among the survivors. There might be a chance of them surviving! Welp, now was the time to-

 

 

 

she stepped over to Chandra again nervously, standing by her side and whispering in her ear with a red face "If you see any clean underwear...could you..?"

 

Chandra smiled knowingly. "Take it easy. I'll tell when I found something that would match your size. " Myra was considerably taller than her, any of her clothing items wouldn't fit onto her. The older woman looked a bit stressed out. "Until then, maybe you can sit on one of the empty seats? I don't want you to pass out or something like that."

 

With that said, Chandra jogged back to her seat and started rummaging for any and all items she could use. What she found wasn't much. All of her belongings were pretty much useless, other than a couple days' worth of clothing there weren't anything else salvageable. She then looked at the luggage belonged to the couple next to her. She thanked her gods when there was a small bag of personal attires among the charred remains. Hopefully it would fit onto Myra. She excused herself from the corpses and made her way to what left of the pantry. At least she hoped it was the pantry.

 

"Let's see what do we have here..." There were broken knifes and other cutlery items. She shoved all of them aside and start diving into the bottom.

 

Note: I don't really know how much Chandra would find inside the ruined sector of the plane. Maybe DM can enlighten me on this?

[Agent505 661]

"Th-thanks..." She mumbled as Chandra walked down to the plane. 

Myra sat down again on the stairs, looking over at the wolf momentarily. Thankfully it still seemed rather disinterested in her, or any of them for the time being, and while she herself didn't quite feel like heading down and giving it a pat on the head, she did cautiously make her way down the stairs and into the plane compartment she awoke from. Taking a few deep breaths, she managed to steady herself again and could feel her emotions settling back down now - if it wasn't for the barren wasteland, killer wildlife, feeling of being watched and the feeling of hopelessly wandering around this place until they died of starvation...she might almost be considered happy. 

"I suppose it makes sense to start where I began, right?" she thought out loud as she climbed her way into the back of the plane, looking for anything salvageable. 

 

It was as she was looking around on the seats, gingerly poking aside the corpses of her fellow passengers that she was hit with a sudden realisation. She didn't feel it anymore...being watched, whatever it was, she didn't get that feeling while she was in the plane...almost as if they couldn't see her. 

Again, she tried to ignore it at the time, looking out of the windows as she stepped down the alley, bumping right into something large and metal, causing it to fall over. 

 

The sight filled her with excitement and she practically jumped up and down in relief as he opened the compartment to one of the plane's catering trolleys. This one in particular only had a few bags of crisps and peanuts, chocolate bars and several spilled hot beverages. It appeared to be the luxury cart, judging by the amount of alcohol and wine it was - or had been carrying, before the majority had smashed on impact. 

Edited July 27, 2013 by Agent505

[Standard User 2,127]

[@@Shanashie, while it may be hard to believe, I just rolled a 6. I didn't load the die, I swear.  ]

Morgan skipped over to the wreckage, dodging the remaining flames and bits of super-heated metal. "Ooh, are we playing 'Finders-Keepers?'" He called out to the others. "I love this game, especially when I play around...d-dead bodies..." His happy-go-lucky demeanor drooped considerably as he passed by the charred corpse of a...well, he couldn't really tell what it used to be. All he knew was that burned flesh smelled something terrible.

 

He shuddered, forcing himself to turn away from the morbid scene. Morgan finished his walk to a moderately sized backpack, then dusted off the ash, metal bits, and embers that masked its baby-blue exterior. Unzipping the bag, Morgan found three unique objects.

The first object took his breath away: a pair of night-vision goggles. He put them on, marveling at the way they made the world a greener place. They even fit comfortably without having to readjust the straps! Not wanting to accidentally break them, Morgan placed them back into the bag and dug around for more goodies.

The second item surprised Morgan a great deal: a serrated combat knife/brass knuckle combo, complete with sheath. Morgan's first inclination was to ponder why anyone would have been allowed such a weapon on board an airplane, but quickly put the matter out of his head when he was reminded that the owner of this knife was smoldering somewhere nearby.

The third object remained in the bag. The other survivors might want to steal his new goggles or knife; no reason to make them want to steal this item as well. 

Morgan put the goggles back on his head and  threaded his fingers through the grip on the knife, then shouldered the backpack. Like the goggles, it fit snugly but comfortably to his body: almost as if he was meant to have this bag.

"Hey guys! Check it o-o-out!" Morgan jogged back over to the other survivors, maintaining a respectable distance while he flashed the knife about. "I found this bitchin' knife and these night-vision goggles. Cool, huh? And...ooh, are those snacks?" He asked, pointing to the toppled food cart. "Can you toss me a little somethin', ma'am? Being a survivor is exhausting!"

Wouldn't be so exhausting if you were dead, though, a little voice said in the back of Morgan's mind. For a split moment, he had to choke back a well of emotion within himself. Rather than break down in front of the rest of the group, however, Morgan focused all of his attention on gripping the knife until his knuckles hurt.

 

Emotions could be dealt with later.

 

For now, food and deducing whether or not any of these people would go cannibal on him was Morgan's top priority. "So...no idea where we are, Chosen ones, yadda-yadda-yadda. What's say we take a lunch break and chat?"

Edited July 28, 2013 by Scoutaloo

[Agent505 661]

@, 

 

Myra was busy rummaging through the cart with her hands trying to find something of use aside from food, she didn't really know what else was kept in these carts, so testing her luck couldn't hurt. As a male voice called over this time, she jumped slightly, not quite expecting someone to start shouting after what they'd just been through. 

 

She turned around to see her addressor, not being able to hold back a warm smile at his happy demeanour, despite the dire situation they where in. 'I used to be like that...' she thought to herself funny what nearly being eaten can do to a girl. 

Grabbing a bag of crisps and peanuts, she ducked her way back out of the plane segment and held them up, shouting back quietly. (You know, in that weird way people do...) "Nothing special, just peanuts and cr-" she paused slightly, remember where she had originally boarded the plane "some chips!" she giggled at the prospect of a single word still separating them in some way, despite everything. 

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

@,

 

Katarzhyna opened her mouth to try to console the woman or rally her confidence, but nothing came out.  She floundered about in her mind for a moment, trying to craft words for someone who, she realized just in the nick of time, had an outlook about as remote as possible from her own.  What do I say to her that does not come out terrible?  Focus.  Take care of her wounds, and go from there.  Crouching down at Emily's feet, she noticed blood stains on her pant legs near her ankles, then a more ominous sign: a small hole poked in one of the pant legs.  The way the cloth had been stretched out of shape by the protrusion indicted that it, and the wounds, had been inflicted from the inside out.  Katarzhyna bit her lip, trying, and probably failing, to hide the tension she felt.  This was not the kind of 'break' someone like her set in the field with first-aid training.  It was the sort of massive trauma where specialist surgeons tried to find all the pieces of bone and pin them together somehow instead of just amputating the feet.

 

Gingerly, Katarzhyna used the tip of the Shard to lift one of the pant legs up and away from the injury.  She blinked in surprise at what she saw.  While Emily's ankle and lower leg was swollen and covered in livid bruises, the nasty compound fracture she'd expected to see was not there.  There was blood, but it was smeared, not scabbed.  Upon closer inspection she could see a small tear-shaped area of new, pink skin about where she'd expected to find the protruding bone spur.  Worry melted from her features, replaced by bright astonishment.

 

"Your healing!  It is remarkable!  Look!" she said, pointing at the boundary of Emily's bruises.  Deep purple was visibly turning to yellow and fading away, like a special effect in a movie.  The swelling was also going down rapidly enough to see the shrinkage.  She checked the other leg, and saw the same effect at work.  "Labyrinth said this world will awaken your strengths!  So, maybe if time comes for you to save this world, you will be ready.  Besides, you are already great hero!  Your name will go down in history like France's Neil Armstrong, as first to set foot on another world!  And mine will go next to Yuri Gagarin's!" 

 

 

 

"Hey guys! Check it o-o-out!" Morgan jogged back over to the other survivors, maintaining a respectable distance while he flashed the knife about. "I found this bitchin' knife and these night-vision goggles. Cool, huh? And...ooh, are those snacks?" He asked, pointing to the toppled food cart. "Can you toss me a little somethin', ma'am? Being a survivor is exhausting!"

 

How did he find such things? Katarzhyna wondered.  Maybe they were in checked luggage?  Sensible explanation or no, for him to find actual military equipment so quickly seemed...like the sort of thing she'd never believe, in a story. 

 

 

 

"So...no idea where we are, Chosen ones, yadda-yadda-yadda. What's say we take a lunch break and chat?"

 

Katarzhyna glanced warily at Aramok out of the corner of her eye, not wanting to draw his attention by turning to him.  "I think we should move as soon as possible.  We do not know what might come out of there."  Or how long beast will remain quiescent.  Then she turned back to Emily.

 

@,

 

"For now, do not worry what you can't do.  Think about what you can.  You said you know Greek mythology.  Do you know what is in Tartarus?"

Edited August 1, 2013 by InvisiblePinkUnicorn

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@,

 

Emily's eyes widened slightly just as Katarzhyna spoke about her wounds.
She could feel it...her legs started to loose the sting of a cut and just...ached. "Amazing..." Emily muttered, pulling up one of her pant legs and wiping away the blood to see simple scars.
She looked up, wiped away the tears from her cheeks, and blushed slightly as Katarzyna started talking about being famous. "I'm from Quebec. But either way, my name wont be said anywhere...I'm a bookstore owner who plays music. Not...a great discoverer." She said, stretching her legs and wincing slightly. "Still ache a bit but...they should be okay." She said, letting out a sigh of relief. "And...Tartarus was basically the worst place of the underworld. The wicked. " She said, looking up at where the massive door once stood. "Thank goodness that door is gone." She mumbled.

((Forgive me is I made a mistake...my knowledge of Greek Mythology is not that great...))

Edited August 11, 2013 by ~Fire Sky~

[Starshine 16,330]

Chandra leaped out of the ruin, covered in soot and dust, but a wide grin adorned her face. In her hands there were a lot of dried food packages and a box of medkit. It should be enough for seven of them for a week, but unfortunately there was no intact water bottle left under the ruin. She shoved all of it into a nearby backpack after pouring its previous contents to the ground and walked merrily to Myra who had found herself a food supply.

 

@@Agent505,

 

Chandra tapped Myra's shoulder and handed her the clothing bag. "Here you go. I hope one of these things will match your size. Chips you say? We better not eat anything that can make us thirsty until we secured ourselves lots of water." She paid no mind to Morgan's chatter about them being chosen, but a lunch sound nice.

 

 

 

"For now, do not worry what you can't do. Think about what you can. You said you know Greek mythology. Do you know what is in Tartarus?"

 

 

"And...Tartarus was basically the worst place of the underworld. The wicked. Tartarus is basically...the worst part of the underworld." She said, looking up at where the massive door once stood. "Thank goodness that door is gone." She mumbled.

 

"Uh, forgive me for hopping into the conversation, but Greek Tartarus is more like a prison instead of your everyday hell of the damned of some sort." Chandra chimed in. She hoped Kat wouldn't mind. "When Zeus usurped his father and the titans' rule, he broke all of their limbs and torn apart their souls, then chained all of it in Tartarus. It also functioned as a banishment place for mortals, but its largest deal was to keep the bad titans from ever regenerating and freeing themselves. I don't know anything more than that, but I'm sure we would fare better if this Tartarus is not the Greek Tartarus." Chandra shrugged.

[Standard User 2,127]

"Well then." Water, schwater: Morgan was hungry, and hungry young men quickly turn into destructive tornadoes as they hunt for food. But, regardless, he could see the logic of the woman's thought process.

 

Morgan whittled a small stick he had found on the ground into a dull point while the others had been discussing this Tartarus place. With one forceful slice, he cut off the tip of his makeshift mini-spear. Sighing, he tossed the improvised weapon away. "That doesn't exactly sound like a place where I wanna go...or where things need to come out of. 

 

"Wait a sec...Tartarus, big three-headed puppy...you don't think we, like, traveled back in time or something, do you? Or is this like a Percy Jackson type of thing? I'd enjoy not getting beheaded or eaten or anything of the sort, thank you very much."

 

Looking out into the distance, Morgan spied structures that looked almost man-made -- at least, they weren't trees or rocks. "Can we walk and talk? I don't like standing around places with burning bodies and disappearing netherworld portals."

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

 

 

"I'm from Quebec. But either way, my name wont be said anywhere...I'm a bookstore owner who plays music. Not...a great discoverer."

 

"Oh, sorry!" Katarzhyna said, blushing a little.  "But you are a great discoverer now.  What you are seeing, no humans but us have ever seen.  When you get home, you will have great stories to tell."  Speaking of which, Katarzhyna thought, slipping the Shard into a jacket pocket and reaching for her mobile.  The screen was cracked, but thankfully the device had survived the crash.  While the others talked about Tartarus, she activated its video camera and started panning around the scene.  As she reached Aramok, she zoomed in to fill the screen with his bulk and hesitated long enough to catch his breathing and movement before continuing to pan.  Noticing oddly angular shapes in the clouds hovering over a mountain, she aimed and zoomed to full magnification.  The image on her screen was blurry and shaky, but with her eyes, it almost looked...like a Hellenistic city.  Olympus?  she thought.  She zoomed back out and continued to pan until she spotted what looked like a walled settlement.  She zoomed in again to capture it, then switched to still photos for higher resolution.  One of the walled city, one of the cloud city and, pulse pounding, a quick shot of Amarok.  Then she shut off her phone and stowed it carefully.  I will have to use its battery life carefully.  Maybe I can find more cameras.  Does anyone use Polaroids anymore?  Or a film camera without delicate electronics.  A writing tablet and pen would also be good. And maybe a bag to keep a few samples of rocks and plants. 

 

Ellie Arroway, the protagonist of Contact had taken the most incredible journey in the history of humankind: interstellar travel to encounter alien life...and returned with absolutely nothing to show for it.  As a result, she'd ended up with what amounted to the most expensive dream about a deceased relative, ever.  Her whole life's work of seeking contact with extraterrestrial life ripped from her grasp, she was publicly accused of lying about the whole thing and reduced to pleading with others to accept her story on faith.  Katarzhyna would not share that fate, if she had anything to say about it!

 

@@Starshine,

 

"Titans...like Medusa?"  Katarzhyna had seen the original version of Clash of the Titans on TV once.  Its stop-motion animation of the mythical creatures was a bit cheesy compared to modern CGI, but was probably considered fantastic when the film was made.  "Prometheus, was he also a Titan?" she asked.  Zeus was not always such a great guy.  Perhaps we do not want to be on his side... she thought, but kept it to herself.  Best to confirm that they were really living in the world of Greek mythology before spreading possible cause for worry.

 

 

 

"Can we walk and talk? I don't like standing around places with burning bodies and disappearing netherworld portals."

 

"I don't either.  But we need to find as much for survival as we can before we go.  We do not know what we will encounter.  Weather could change, or we could be teleported to other places.  We must try to prepare for everything," she said as she started searching luggage for anything she could find.  A disturbing thought occurred to her, and she pulled out the Shard.

 

@@Shanashie,

 

"Tiffany...can you hear me?  Do you know about microbes on this world?  Do you know if anything here could infect us, or if our germs could harm native life?"  In theory, the life here should have had a completely different evolutionary history than life on Earth. Pathogens adapted to the life forms of one biosphere should (probably) not be able to infect life from the other, for the same reason that humans don't catch Dutch Elm disease, and trees don't catch colds.  On the other hand, if this was where Greek mythology came from, this world and Earth might have more in common than just stories and place-names.

[Starshine 16,330]

Chandra watched in interest when Katarzhyna photographed things around her, but she lost interest when the Russian aimed her phone to the sky. If this was not earth, then there would be nothing good that would come from the sky.

 

 

 

"Prometheus, was he also a Titan?" she asked

 

"Um, no. As far as I know, Prometheus is one of the female titans who were not imprisoned in the Tartarus. Titans who were imprisoned in Tartarus would include Cronus, and..." Chandra scratched her head in mild confusion. "Yeah, I can only remember Cronus. Sorry!"

 

Chandra paced around for a bit before climbing a part of the ruin to get a better look at the bronze city, as she had decided to name it from the bronze roof. There was a path going through the thicket of the forest which would lead them straight to the settlement. She called out to other survivors, "Hey guys! There is a city over there, I can see a road in the forest to that place. Should we go try our luck and check it out?"

[Agent505 661]

@@Starshine, 

 

(Sorry guys, i've not been feeling myself lately. I'll post a catch up here, hopefully i've not overdone it) 

 

"Oh...uh...thanks..." She trailed off, blushing as she took the clothing bag and held it tightly as she looked through. "That's a good find" she nodded towards the backpack "I...think I might know where there's another. We should...probably have one for food and water, and another for medical supplies or...something." She looked down at the floor, embarrassed about something as a warm feeling encroached on the back of her neck once again. Suddenly snapping around and frantically scanning the horizon with her eyes, she took a step back, before ducking into the plane and hissing over to Chandra - she was the only was she was familiar with at least. "Could you...w-watch the hole? P-please?" She giggled, ducking behind a row of chairs as she rummaged through the bag. 

 

Once again, the feeling of being watched had vanished, and now she was getting more annoyed with it than anything else. Finally finding some underwear that was in her size, she struggled to get them on while keeping a low profile behind the chairs - it was already uncomfortable as it was down there without being made any worse. Eventually, she popped up from behind them with a happy smile on her face. "Thanks Chandra, I owe you one!" she giggled, turning back down the plane segment. "I'm gonna go find that rucksack I was talking about..." Quickly vanishing into the plane, she eventually returned and made her way back out, just in time to hear Chandra talking about leaving and checking something out. 

 

"G-guys?" She spoke up, placing the rucksack on the floor and fastening it up after placing the bag of - now various male and female - clothes inside. "I...should have probably said something earlier, but...something's been watching us while we've been here..."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

((AHH sorry everyone, I've been uber busy))

 

@@Starshine,

@,

 

Emily went back to being shy as Chandra spoke.
She just nodded at Katarzhyna before looking around...then back down at her legs. She took a deep breath and pushed herself up to a standing position, wincing slightly at the ache in her legs...was nowhere near as bad as it was before though.
She picked up her violin and shakily walked towards the wreckage before she began searching around for her guitar.

 

Eventually...she found it in one of the overhead compartments...which was now part of the floor.
She smiled and pulled it out, placing the two backpack straps over her shoulders before she walked back out just in time to hear Myra say they were being watched.
Emily's eyes widened slightly and she quickly looked around the camp, hoping to find whatever may be watching them.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

Prometheus is female Titan? Katarzhyna thought.  In the version she'd heard, "he" had stolen the fire of the Gods and given it to humankind.  For this, Zeus had punished him by chaining him to a rock, so that vultures could peck out his liver; it would grow back so that they could do it again the next day, and the next...  This made him a hero of sorts to people who valued progress, like science-fiction enthusiasts, techies, and people like Katarzhyna, who dreamed of riding the Promethean fire all the way to space.  Well...if she is a girl, so much the better.  Could we actually meet her?  Set her free?

 

 

 

"Hey guys! There is a city over there, I can see a road in the forest to that place. Should we go try our luck and check it out?"

 

Looking up from the Shard--which wasn't conjuring a genie-Tiffany to answer her questions--Katarzhyna turned to follow the other woman's gaze to the city.  At full zoom, its wall looked to be more for decor than defense.  Something of a relief, as that implied a peaceful people.  There was no obvious indicator of their level of technology.  No roads choked with cars, or lanes of flying vehicles tracing across the sky.  But then, the aliens might have a concept of 'advanced' that didn't involve some lots-of-vehicles version of human modernity.  But we would be very poor 'Guardians' if we meet the locals and accidentally kill ninety percent of them off because they have no resistance to some bacterium that is harmless to us!  She looked back down at the Shard, which was doing nothing whatsoever aside from being slightly warm to the touch.  This is very important!  Maybe it does not work only for me?  Maybe we all have to touch it?  So that no one of us can 'own' it and all Guardians are equal? 

 

Before she could try to figure out how to ask the others to join her in touching the Shard like some group of teenage cartoon superheroes another young woman--wasn't she wearing different clothes earlier?--spoke up:

 

 

 

"G-guys?" She spoke up, placing the rucksack on the floor and fastening it up after placing the bag of - now various male and female - clothes inside. "I...should have probably said something earlier, but...something's been watching us while we've been here..."

 

"Where?" Katarzhyna asked.

[Starshine 16,330]

 

 

"I...should have probably said something earlier, but...something's been watching us while we've been here..."

 

Chandra tensed. "Who could be watching us in here, so close with the... gate to whatever? Maybe some kind of rescue team from locals who had seen the plane crash?" She gasped. That, or yet another beastly fauna. She quickly strapped her food backpack on her back and readied herself for a sprint to the brown city. She didn't feel like trying her luck with this watching creatures.

[Agent505 661]

@,@@Starshine,

 

Myra stood there momentarily, fiddling with her thumbs around the strap on the backpack as she thought about the best way to explain it to the group. She was sure her feeling was correct, it made too much sense in her mind not to be, but that was all it was. A feeling. Would the others even believe her? 

What's happened to me? Why am I so doubtful lately? This...isn't right, this isn't me... she thought, her eyes scanning across the floor and finally up to the rest of the group, finally settling on Chandra - she was most comfy with her after all. 

"I...I'm sorry, I'm not sure...but it's...agh, how would you explain this?" She cursed, tapping her lip with her left index finger, leaving her right hand to squeeze the strap. "You know when you're alone on a saturday night, and suddenly you hear a bump from outside, only to realise you live on the 8th floor?" She asked casually, looking around for signs of approval for a moment before carrying on "well...it's like an intense, non-paranoid version of that. I can't explain why or how, but I know it's true, and I...well...I know where it's watching us from..." she pointed over behind her without looking, towards the greyish anomaly in the clouds.

 

She started chewing her lip and excessively fidgeting, looking away from Chandra and back to the floor as she prepared for mocking responses that claimed paranoia on her part. "I know what I can feel...I just don't know how." she muttered to herself.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

Katarzhyna tried to follow her gesture.  "Up in the clouds?" she asked, hoping for confirmation, but the girl was clearly too nervous to even look at her, much less at whatever she felt was watching them.  "After being instantaneously teleported to The Planet of Greek Mythology, encountering three-headed giant wolf, talking to dead child speaking for Labyrinth of Tartarus, being told I am supposed to become superhero planetary guardian, watching her disappear like genie into this," she said, gesturing with the Shard, "seeing what should have been irreparable broken legs heal before my eyes and the woman get up and walk away, and a young man find things that should not have been in carry-on baggage on an airplane in first place he looks...my Inner Skeptic, she has decided to just be quiet and watch for awhile," Katarzhyna said, hoping to reassure the girl. 

 

"When I first came out of fuselage, it looked to me like weather was being controlled.  There was enough rain to put out fires on aircraft, but ground I am standing on now, is not even wet.  So maybe whoever or whatever did that, is watching us now?  Can you feel anything of intent?  Impressions of hostility, or curiosity from watcher?" 

 

Katarzhyna's body language was tense, like she wanted to start pacing rapidly, in several directions at once.  There were too many things that needed to be done right away. 

• Salvage everything potentially useful from the wreckage, from survival needs to possible trade goods.
• Get away from the wreckage before more predators or the Greek Aliens In Black showed up, or Amarok decided to get hungry again.
• Try to see if Tiffany could be summoned with everyone touching the Shard.
• Get a really, really good look at her surroundings.
• Try to see if there really was a watcher in the clouds, and figure out if they should try to contact it, or escape.
• Start out for the city, to make contact with the locals.
• Avoid the locals until she could be sure they would not be unleashing a fatal pathogen on them.
• Try to find out if the aliens might decide that the safest quarantine procedure was an airstrike--

OK, that last one stood out from the rest.  The phrase, 'It's the only way to be sure' took on a rather more ominous tone when one might be on the receiving end.  Katarzhyna's first thought was to try to get the others to safety.  But then--  What if they would be right?  I do not want to kill a whole world!  She scanned the skies again, not sure if she should expect flying saucers with atomic death-rays, Apollo in his flying Sun-chariot, or...colorful flying creatures?  A flock of them seemed to be coming from the direction of the cloud-topped mountain.  It didn't look like any sort of attack run.  To the contrary, even at a distance there was an innocent charm about them, like exotic birds soaring and wheeling on a lovely spring day.  They didn't seem to be quite the right shape for birds though¹.

 

As tempting as it was to just watch them, and hope they got close enough for a better look, there were too many urgent priorities jostling for position in Katarzhyna's inner bullet list.  She tore her eyes away from them and back toward the clouds the other woman had (maybe) indicated.  Maybe if she could catch a glimpse of the Watcher--if there was one--without tipping it off...

 

 

NOTE:

 

1. @@Shanashie, I'm guessing that these are pegasi.  If they're something else, like manticores or dragons--or birds!--let me know and I'll edit Katarzhyna's impression if necessary.  

[Shanashie 39]

 but I know it's true, and I...well...I know where it's watching us from..." she pointed over behind her without looking, towards the greyish anomaly in the clouds.

 

As five sets of eyes followed the invisible line between finger and cloud, a flurry of movement drew their rapt attention.   Descending from the fluffy cumulus was a large group of specks, growing larger as they raced down the mountainside.  Even at such a distance the beat of wings flickered around the edges of each, surly marking them as some species of giant bird.  Yet as the flock followed the gentle undulations of grass covered shale, their prismatic colours and shapes became more defined along with their oddities.

 

 Sinuous bodies seemed slightly too large and front heavy for the wings that propelled them along.  Some sported long brightly coloured tails that whipped around in their slipstream.  It was also quickly becoming clear that some of the bird-like creatures were also flying in tandem, large objects slung between two or three in a dint to spread the weight. 

 

Once they crossed tree line, the colourful shapes began to group together more tightly and allowed a V of bright white creatures to take the lead.  At first it looked as though the spectrum of buzzards were headed for the lofty platue where the survivors stood, but their course quickly changed as though carefully coordinated.  Unlike the collective behaviour of birds in flight, the large group seemed move on command, no stragglers as their course veered away towards the centre of the valley.

 

Banking out across the canopy, the leaders twinkled briefly with the shine of metal as they flew parallel to the group of befuddled humans.  Now looking out over the valley whole once more, the intended destination became much more apparent.  Some had noticed the slight trail of steam before, but had put it aside as a trick of the light or 'yet more wreckage'. One thing was for sure, no aircraft wreck in the world produced that kind of smoke.  Not without help at least.

 

With a cautious, steady approach, the peculiar flock circled the growing column of vivid orange errupting from the woodland, far too brilliant in hue to be of natural design.  Then the majority of the colourful creatures disappeared into the green canopy, leaving only a few of their white leaders still circling over the site.

 

To even the most inexperienced mind it practically screamed; 'signal flare'.   

Edited August 13, 2013 by Shanashie